In my fifth (or sixth if you count 0 -9 as the first) decade and still single, I am Zimbabwe born and bred and like a lot of people in this country am appalled at the tragedy unfolding around me. Zimbabwe has to be seen to experience the beauty of the place and the people have to be met to understand just how pleasant most are, despite the endless bad press.

I started this blog as an easy way (lazy way) of keeping in touch with all my friends around the world so while it is written mainly for those who know the country I have tried to make it understandable for those who don’t, though at times it may seem totally absurd; hence the title!

Initially I was going to be very critical of what is going on in the country and with the potential repercussions of that decided to stay more or less anonymous. However, there are loads of blogs that chronicle that and I quickly got tired of the negativity. So, the anonymity has faded somewhat and I prefer to concentrate on the things that compel me to write, political, humorous, and otherwise. I apologize in advance for my lack of journalistic skills but hopefully they will improve. Hey, give me a break, I am a scientist (an MSc in Horticulture) and have only “discovered” the arts relatively late in life!

Entries tend to occur as I am inspired and/or have something to say so they can be a bit erratic. Please fell free to leave comments, critical and otherwise, it is nice to know people are reading this.

This is all great. Thanks for the fabulous coverage of HIFA. Some very good points – will take some on board. Very direct writing style. Interesting. Can you contact me? Want to speak to you about something to do with the Festival.

Hi Andy,
I’m still trying to learn how to walk propely, just like a new baby. How are you coping in good old Zim? We miss it like crazy and can’t wait to be back. Cheers to all.
PS What’s you land line (if working!) number to call you on skype

Battling is the only word to describe it. It isn’t like it was when you were here. Everyone is waiting for the elections but I’m not sure that whatever the outcome it will be a case of plus de change, plus de meme chose!

Hi Andy, it’s great to read your blog! We’re waiting with lots of apprehension to obtain the official results of the election and are keeping our fingers crossed. We’re really hoping to be able to anticipate our return home! Morocco is a wonderful country but there’s no other place but Zimbabwe that we intend calling home. We miss everybody there and appreciate more and more what we’ve left behind, although we know it’s only temporary since we will be coming back soon soon. Take great care of your self!
Cheers, Stefania (Olivier’s wife).

You mention on the blog friends of yours, Gary and Jo Hensman. I’ve been trying to get in touch. I’ve tried the following address (ghensman@zol.co.zw), but suspect that they may not now be using it. Might you have other contact details?

My name is John Wilpers. I am the Global Blog Coordinator for GlobalPost, a new international news organization set to launch on Jan. 12 (see http://www.globalpost.com).

My job is to build a list of blogs that will appear on GlobalPost where we will have approximately 65 correspondents in some 46 countries. We are looking for enlightening, informative posts from bloggers writing (in English) in those countries.

I am pleased to extend an invitation to you to have the most recent post of “Zimbabwe Absurdity” included on the Zimbabwe page of GlobalPost.com as part of our “Global Blogs” service.

After reviewing thousands of blogs worldwide, we have found “Zimbabwe Absurdity” to be one that is thought provoking and gives readers a true sense of what life is really like in Zimbabwe.

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By appearing on Global Post’s exciting new international news website, your words, viewpoints, and pictures would gain worldwide exposure. Your posts would not only appear instantly on globalpost.com but also possibly on the sites of our partners, including the Huffington Post (7.8 million U.S. and 9.7 million global monthly unique visitors) and other news and information websites.

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I am of the opinion that Andy is quite negative person, when he did his article on Mr G on bamboo was very unfair, Mr G is someone who is doing something about the environment of Zimbabwe he is 88 years old. How Andy can make fun of another person is beyond me given his disability, not saying he cant have a joke but to poke fun is wrong especially without getting your facts right. Mr G is doing something about deforestation, we have lost over a million trees in Zimbabwe this year alone, Andy owns a nursery so he shud care about plants you would think, he took money from MR G when he looked after Mr G bamboo plantlets, so why is he so negative, yes food is important but lets be responsible for the environment too. Food grows in an environment remember…mmmm food for thought

You are entitled to your opinion about my negativity. I think I like to try and approach life with a balanced perspective!

I was not making fun of Mr G – I was commenting that I thought it sad that he had to work at his age. Maybe he choses to work, I don’t know. If that is the case I laud his approach. I am certainly NOT criticizing him doing something about deforestation but if we don’t do something about food production in this country we are in for some very hard times. One must not be dependent on other countries for one’s staple diet – even if it means subsidizing maize production. There are no shortages of environmental problems facing us, deforestation is definitely one of the biggest. It will all come to little if there is not enough food to go around!

I saw your comment on Trevor Ambrose. I went to school in Ndola, Zambia with someone of the same name and we were quite good friends in early high school. He was into model aeroplanes. Would have been around 58/59 today. Is it the same person? Was he married and did he have children?

I am an editor of a website that reports on human rights, politics, free speech and daily lives of people in countries that are not often reported on. I can see you get a lot of offers to use your blog and was wondering if you would consider one more! Nobody working on the site gets paid and no money is made from your blog. Thanks, Ela

I was wondering if you accept guest post for your blog. If you do, I would like to submit a few. I’m a recent college graduate, with an English major, looking to build out my portfolio. I can write on a wide variety of topics and am sure you would be happy with the quality. Please email me back if you are interested. Thank you for your time.

I’m a 69 year young guy from Massachusetts, USA started back to University in Sept. for a degree that I missed the first time through. I’m doing a paper on four problems in your country, with a position paper on the one I think would be your number 1. surfing the net a came across your site. Hope its still active it would be great to hear from you with some ideas to help an old guy out….. well we’ll see what happens

Hi Andy
Thanks for your pictures of my show at HIFA. Would you be so kind as to drop me a mail on info@derekgripper.com as I would like to ask you for permission to use some of them
Yours,
Derek Gripper

I was doing some research on horticulture farming in Zimbabwe and stumbled across you blog. My wife’s family has a 7 hector plot in Mandalay Park, Ruwa that we are planning to utilize for horticulture farming projects.. I noticed on your profile that you specialize in horticulture and was wondering if you offer any advisory or consultancy services?

Interesting. I left in 1973 and have returned periodically over the years to visit aging parents. Twenty years ago mum and her partner used to take trips to Troutbeck, but that ended when he died and mum had to return to the UK; dad still lives in Bulawayo. I was looking through trying to find pictures of Inyanga [sic] village and the Holiday Association (Butlins type camp) when I stumbled across your blog

Hello Zak, we are here just for a few days for a family wedding. We are members of the Witwatersrand Orchid society and are hoping to make contact with anyone in the Harare vacinity and would like to make contact with anyone who shares an interest in indigenous or his please. Thank- you, Annette & Duncan Mc Farlane

Hi Andy, Just LOVE your Zimbabwe bush photography. I lectured in Geography at uni in Harare 1976 to 1991 and taught biogeography among other subjects. Now live in Australia on Gold Coast south of Brisbane. Writing short illustrated stories about gardens and gardening for kids 12 and under, proceeds going to a local wildlife sanctuary hospital. Do you mind if I use some of your musasa pics at the end of a story called ALL ABOUT TREES = mostly based on River Red Gum which is a common eucalyptus tree here, but be great to show kids in Oz the trees from where I was born 🙂 cheers Dr Richard Whitlow

We were searching wild flowers of Nyanga and found your interesting blog.

Reading snippets, we are intrigued by your attachment to Nyanga. We have a holiday retreat at Connemara and absolutely love the area…we live in Bulawayo, so it is a long way for us to travel to the Misty Mountains. Therefore it becomes a bit if a pilgrimage, albeit one that we eagerly partake in whenever we can!

We would be interested to know if you are still a regular visitor to Nyanga. We would also love to read more of your blogs on the area.

Hello Gail. My parents met in Nyanga in 1948 and my mother bought a plot of 10ha on the Church Rd just before it drops down to the Gairezi River. When she died she left it as a company (as one could in those days) to myself and a family friend. I rarely go over there as it is such a difficult road but the family friend is slowly developing it.

We used to go up to the World’s View escarpment a lot when paragliding was active but sadly the sport is dying and I struggle with the takeoffs by myself. Feel free to contact me on gonexc@gmail.com

Love your blog about this country,fed up of neg’s,grew up in the glenlivet area where my father worked at a Waltons family plot,used to enjoy walks under the jacaranda trees,views of the lake from the jet ,watching still lake in the morning,bicycle ride in the red soil gravel road,monkeys jumping over the fence helping themselves on whatever they will get.fishing and boat-viewing,what a lovely place Glenlivet was.i also remember the Generous Vaughn Davies family,brother in law of Graham Waiton who later on moved to UK,Im not sure of Granny Bob,who was now getting a little bit frail(1993)and ,.Brendan and his two sisters.OOOh cant turn these years back.
cheers